These chocolate dulce de leche linzer cookies are the stuff of dreams. Thick and creamy caramel sandwiched together with rich chocolate shortbreads. Get creative with the shapes, they can be customised for all occasions.
There is something so festive about a linzer cookie, I make them every year around the holidays. The best thing about them is they’re so customisable. These Chocolate Dulce De Leche Linzer Cookies are especially good, the thick and gooey caramel is so morish you’ll have to stop yourself eating it by the spoonful.
You can buy great quality dulce de leche in the shops these days (Waitrose do a fantastic one) and you’ll receive no judgement from me if you decide to use store bought but making your own is so easy and so much cheaper. It’s simply a case of boiling a tin of condensed milk in water for a few hours and hey presto, thick and creamy dulce de leche.
A few notes about the caramel process, if you want a lighter and thinner caramel boil for 2 hours. I leave mine for 3 hours as I like it dark, thick and spreadable. Also, make sure you leave the finished caramel to cool completely in the tin before you attempt to open it or you might get a face full of boiling caramel spray. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
As always, the dough is freezable. As are the unfilled cookies, simply place the cooled cookies on a lined baking sheet and freeze for one hour. Once frozen transfer the cookies to a freezer bag and they’ll keep for 3 – 4 weeks. Just defrost at room temperature and fill as normal.
Freezing cookies is perfect for the holiday season, any unexpected guests popping by? Just defrost some cookies and bask in the glory of the oohs and ahhs that come hand in hand with homemade cookies. I gotcha backs!
If you’re as big of a linzer cookies fan as I am you can also check out my recipe for a more traditional version, Vanilla Raspberry Linzer Cookies here. They’re so delicious and so Christmassy! In fact, I’ll be whipping up a batch ready for the holidays next weekend.
Chocolate Dulce De Leche Linzer Cookies
Description
These chocolate dulce de leche linzer cookies are the stuff of dreams. Thick and creamy caramel sandwiched together with rich chocolate shortbreads.
Ingredients
For the Dulce De Leche:
- 1 397g tin of condensed milk
For the Cookies:
- 375g plain flour
- 45g cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 250g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 large, free range eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- To make the dulce de leche: lay the unopened can of condensed milk on its side in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan. Fill the pan with water making sure that the can of milk is completely submerged and the water level is a few inches above the can. Place the pan over a high heat until the water comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium and allow to simmer for 3 hours. Check the water levels every 45 minutes, adding more boiling water to ensure the can stays submerged.
- Remove the dulce de leche from the pan using a pair of tongs and allow to cool completely before opening. I usually do this the night before I need it.
- To make the cookies: Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, around 5 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition before adding vanilla.
- With the mixer on the lowest speed add the dry ingredients to the wet and bet until just incorperated. Divide the dough into two and form two flat discs. Wrap each disc in cling film and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 170°C and line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Lightly flour your work surface and roll one of the chilled dough discs out to 1/4″ thickness. Using a 2 1/2″ round cookie cutter cut out 24 rounds, repeat using the second batch of dough making sure to re-roll any scraps of dough you have left until you have 48 rounds. Using a smaller cookie cutter in whichever shape you like, cut out the centres of 24 of your rounds.
- Place rounds on baking sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Place your cooled dulce de leche in a piping bag and pipe 1 tablespoon into the centre of each of the whole cookies, spread it out slightly with a spatula or the back of a spoon and top with the cut out cookie and repeat until finished.
- Dust with a little icing sugar for a festive flurry.
Notes
The discs of dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Unopened cans of dulce de leche can be kept in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months. Left over opened dulce de leche can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
Oh my goodness, these look absolutely incredible, caramel and chocolate shortbread… it doesn’t get any better than that! How perfect are these for this time of year. I will have to give this a go.
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Oh wow these look like amazing treats! I wonder if mine will turn out as nice
Oh wow these look absolutely delicious! And so beautiful, mine would never turn out like this!
I love dulce di leche, my Spanish friends introducted me to it. I cannot imagine how good these cookies must be!
These look and sound incredible! I will be giving these a go one a rainy day – thank you so much for sharing!
They look amazing and I didn’t realise dulce de leche was the posh name for what I use for bannofie pie! 🙂
I am doing some baking next Monday for Christmas and I’m so tempted to make something like this as they look amazing x
I do love a linzer cookie at Christmas time. These look absolutely delicious, so tempting!
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Oh my goodness, these look delicious. I could eat one this second
Gosh, these look incredible. I need to make some cookies this weekend in preparation for Christmas so I might give these a go
I don’t think I’ve ever tried dulce de leche cookies, I’ll have to try making these with my eldest daughter as a Christmas treat.
I am such a sucker for dulce de leche and these linzer cookies look sublime! I’ve never made linzer cookies before, but I know now which ones I should start with!
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These are beautiful! Caramel is my absolute favourite, and with the crunchiness of the cookie – perfection! I am going to make double and give some away as gifts. These will look gorgeous in a pretty tin.
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These are simply beautiful cookies! Love the cutouts (and that you didn’t throw away the stars!!). Never waste a good cookie scrap!
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These cookies are beautiful!! I feel like I would make a mess out of these, but I would love to eat it!!
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You just can’t go wrong with sweetened condensed milk in all the desserts around the holidays!! Love your photos, which show off your cookies just beautifully!
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